Chunshan Song receives 2007 Herman Pines Award in Catalysis
Professor Chunshan Song was selected to receive the prestigious Herman Pines Award in Catalysis in 2007. The Herman Pines Award, cosponsored by the Catalysis Club of Chicago (CCC) of the North American Catalysis Society and UOP, LLC, is presented annually by the CCC at its Spring Symposium for outstanding research in the field of catalysis.
Professor Herman Pines, a pioneer in catalytic hydrocarbon conversion and chemistry of acid catalysis was a founding member of the CCC and a towering figure in history of catalysis. The award in his honor is cosponsored by UOP where Herman began his industrial career in 1930 and amassed 145 US patents over a 23-year period. His work revolutionized the general understanding of organic chemistry, particularly the chemistry of hydrocarbons interacting with strong acids.
The award is an external recognition for Penn State research on novel catalysts and sorbents in hydrocarbon conversion for ultra clean fuels and chemicals, especially for “innovative approaches to catalysis and liquid-phase adsorption for desulfurization and fuel reforming of liquid fuels for fuel cells.”
“I am very honored to have been selected to receive this award in the name of Professor Herman Pines for whom I have great respect, and am grateful to those who have nominated and recommended me for this honor,” Dr. Song said.
“This is a recognition for the research accomplishments by a group effort in the EMS Energy Institute involving my former and current coworkers including postdoctoral scholars and graduate students as well as our industrial and academic collaborators, to whom I am thankful. I have been fortunate to be associated with the EMS Energy Institute and EGEE department. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the faculty and staff members and all of my coworkers and students in EI/EGEE, especially Dr. Harold Schobert and Dr. Alan Scaroni for encouraging and supporting our earlier research in catalytic hydrocarbon conversion which helped building the base for the current research program in clean fuels and catalysis.”
ASSE Recognizes Joel Haight for his Work on a Handbook for Safety Engineers
Joel Haight, associate professor of energy and mineral engineering, received two awards in recognition of his work in publishing a new two-volume reference book for Safety Engineers and health professionals, released in June 2008. Haight was editor-in-chief and one of 80 authors who contributed to the handbook, “The Safety Professionals Handbook.” The two volumes, Management Applications and Technical Applications, focus on how to develop, implement or improve safety, health and environmental programs.
“This is a valuable reference book. We enforced a rigorous peer review process in which each chapter was evaluated by three reviewers,” said Haight. “As we moved through the process of developing this book it became clear that it was going to be so thorough and cover the topic areas so well that it would be valuable to anyone in the safety profession at any level — students, new professionals, seasoned professionals and anyone needing to have access to additional information about safety and health.”
In addition, a percentage of the royalties from the book, which is already in its third printing, will go towards the American Society of Engineers (ASSE) and Joel M. Haight Scholarship for undergraduate safety engineering students. So far, the scholarship fund has received about $2,500.
For his role in the creation of this handbook, Joel received the Charles Cultbertson Award for Meritorious Service to the Council on Practices and Standards, and the Safety Professional of the Year – Engineering Practice Specialty from the ASSE. Both awards are given annually.
Independent Oil Wins Telly Award
Independent Oil DVD “Independent Oil: Rediscovering America’s Forgotten Wells,”—a documentary produced with funding from the Department of Energy, the Stripper Well Consortium (SWC) and New York Energy Research and Development Authority—has received a bronze award in the public relations category at the recent 28th Annual Telly Awards.
Produced by Penn State Public Broadcasting, the video “explores the often overlooked potential of the nation’s 500,000 small, independent oil and gas wells and their role in reducing our dependence on foreign supplies.”
The Telly Awards recognize the best local, regional and cable television, as well as film and video productions. According to the award’s Web site, the 28th Annual Telly Awards received over 14,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 continents.
Since the release of “Independent Oil” in the fall 2005, the SWC has distributed over 4,000 DVD copies. The video has also been the recipient of a Communicator Award in Excellence in the Documentary Video Category.